Flashes
by Yhunoh
Summary: Kidnapped at a young age by Team Rocket and having been used in inhumane experiments, Ash now has the ability to change into a pokémon. What might seem like a gift, is nothing but a curse for the young boy. Still suffering from the experiences of the past, will he be able to prove himself as a trainer?
1. Wake up, Sleepy-head

**Thanks for reading! **

I'm unsure whether I want Ash to be 10 or 12 in this, though I feel like 12 fits better.

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__Darkness. It surrounded him, possessing his entire being. The light of the sun was but a distant dream, a memory of better times. A wish whispered by dying__ _v___oices.__

__He was running.__

__Again.__

__Cold breath escaped his lips. Bare feet hit the ground. Pat. Pat. Pat. He could feel it catching up to him. Chasing him. His throat stung and his feet hurt. Exhaustion began creeping up on him. Couldn't keep running. Tears fell down his cheeks, his small frame trembling like a leaf in the wind. It was right behind him. He staggered and lost his footing. The boy fell to the ground, harsh stone scraping open his arms and legs. He stilled. It had caught up to him. His head rose slowly, almost reluctantly, glossy eyes taking a peek behind him.__

__A scream tore through the silence.__

He awoke with a gasp, drops of sweat running down his temple. Brown eyes focused onto the darkness of the room, searching for something they couldn't see. Finally he calmed down, falling back onto his bed, vanishing underneath the safety of the blanket with a quick movement of his hand.

"Ash? Ash!" The bundle of blanket stirred. One hand crept out of the fort, wildly reaching around until it made contact with a round, ball-shaped object. Fingers closed around the ball and brought it back into the blanket. Barely a second later a surprised yell resounded through the house. The bundle was now moving around the bed wildly, before falling off the edge and tumbling onto the floor. A mop of black hair appeared on top, followed soon by a head with big brown eyes and rather pale skin. The boy tugged at the blanket in frustration, trying to remove the constricting cloth from his body. This was how his mother found him – rolling around the floor while punching against the blanket from the inside. She laughed, hurrying over to her son to help him untangle himself from his prison. "Didn't you want to go to Professor Oak for your starter pokémon?" She asked, freeing his legs from the cloth.

"I overslept! And I got tangled up…" The boy answered groggily as he was finally rescued from his unfortunate position. His mouth fell open in shock when he remembered just how late he was. He jumped up, stumbling due to one of his feet being caught on the edge of the blanket. With an annoyed huff he broke free, and dashed out of the door, leaving his mother sitting bewildered on the floor. Ash burst down the stairs in a hurry, not even bothering to change out of his pajama for the occasion. Delia barely had time to call after him, the blanket lying discarded on the ground when the door fell shut. She shook her head, folding the blanket together and straightening out the pillow, a hint of a smile playing around her lips.

In the meantime, a certain black haired boy was busy sprinting to the Pokémon Professor's house. He grimaced when little stones dug into his bare feet, at first stopping every few steps to brush them off but soon gave up on this futile task. Instead he simply grit his teeth and kept running. In his hurry to get to the professor in time, he had totally forgotten about how he was still wearing his pajama, and he didn't think of putting on his shoes until he left the house, at which point he decided to just bare with it. Not exactly the best start into his new life as a pokémon trainer, but he would do his best with what he had! If only he hadn't overslept… Ash sighed. Now Oak would think that he was a bad trainer, or lazy. And he didn't want to make a bad impression on the professor. And what if there were no pokémon left and he had to start his journey by himself? Could he even become a trainer without any pokémon? How would he be able to catch one without weakening it before? He chewed on his bottom lip, jogging along the road. Would this already be the end of his journey? Just because he overslept? He shook his head, hair flaying wildly. No way! Ash would become the best pokémon trainer that had ever existed!

He slowed down when he saw a large crowd of people that had gathered in front of Oak's house. A bunch of cheerleaders were chanting a name, jumping up and down in excitement. Ash stumbled forward, standing on his tiptoes as he tried to catch a look at whoever was causing the commotion. He leaned onto the person in front of him, yelling as suddenly he lost his footing and tumbled past the people, landing in a heap on the ground. He groaned, rubbing his hurting back.

"Look who finally decided to show up. Did you oversleep Ash?" Of course it had to be him. Ash rolled his eyes as he eyed the boy standing in front of him, all cocky arrogance and self-assurance. He didn't even offer Ash a hand as he stood up, patting the dirt off his pajama bottom. "So what if I did?" Ash snapped back. "I'm here now." His rival regarded his dirty form with a smug grin.

"You should have just stayed at home. We all know that there will be only one future pokémon master from Pallet Town, and it's not going to be you."

"Gary!" The crowd of cheerleaders chanted loudly, much to his joy. He waved to the girls, which caused a new round of overly excited shrieking and chanting. "Well, I'm not going to back down," Ash said, his voice firm and steady. "I will become a pokémon master!" Gary narrowed his eyes at his rivals confidence. The pale boy showed more resolution than he would have given him credit for.

A red car drove up to the laboratory, interrupting the quarrel between the two boys. The driver honked a few times and gestured for Gary to enter the vehicle. He turned around, jumping into the backseat. "Whatever. I have better things to do than arguing with some loser without pokémon. Like becoming the greatest pokémon trainer that has ever existed!" He turned back towards the crowd, his smile so bright it was blinding. "I will make sure to spread word of Pallet Town throughout the world! I promise I will become the next pokémon master!" More cheering followed his words, the crowd waving after the disappearing vehicle until it vanished out of sight. A few of the teen girls attempted to run after the car, but they were too slow. The rest of the people slowly dispersed, leaving behind a slightly battered Ash.

He made sure to pat most of the dirt off his pajama before knocking on the door to Oak's laboratory. It was worse enough to be visiting Oak in a pajama, he didn't need to visit him in a dirty pajama on top of that. The door was opened, revealing a surprised looking professor. He eyed Ash for a second. "Ash, isn't it?"

"Yeah" the boy nodded, stepping closer. "Sorry, I over-"

"You are late." Ash rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"I know, I just wanted to tell you that I -"

"That's not a good quality to have in a pokémon trainer. Are you sure you are up to this?"

"Yes! I just o-"

"Well, I suppose you can give it a try. But don't say I didn't warn you." Ash groaned loudly, giving up his attempts to explain himself.

"Anyways, why are you in a pajama?"

"That's not important! And I just tried telling you that I overslept but you wouldn't listen!"

"I see… well, you are here for your starter pokémon, aren't you?"

"Yes!" The boy said with sparkling eyes. The professor gestured for Ash to follow him as he went upstairs. Ash closed the door behind him, before running after the professor. A circular machine was placed in the middle of the room, three Pokéballs sitting in their own separate spots. The only thing separating them from Ash was a thin wall of glass. Oak pressed a button on the machine which caused the glass to retract. The boy swallowed, his gaze shifting from one Pokéball to the next.

After a lot of thinking he had decided to go with Charmander as his first pokémon. It might get harder to control once it reached it's evolution into the more aggressive Charmeleon, but it's strength and durability made up for this easily. Besides, Ash felt confident that he would be able to handle it. "Charmander… I choose you!" He yelled out in excitement, picking up the Pokéball. It fell open with a flash, revealing – nothing. There was no pokémon inside. "I'm sorry, but a trainer that arrived on time had already taken it." "You could have told me so" Ash muttered, but put the ball back. He eyed the remaining ones, before he decided on his next pick. This was his second choice, but a good one nevertheless. He had argued between Bulbasaur and Squirtle but ended up choosing Squirtle. It's strength would give him a good footing in future battles. Squirtle also had the advantage of being a rather defense-focused pokémon, so it would be able to tank a lot of hits without being as affected by them as Bulbasaur would be. He took the other Pokéball, pressing the release button on the front. "You will be my pick then, Squirtle!"

Again, the ball revealed itself to be empty. The boy slumped forward, placing it back onto it's former spot. "This one had also been handed to a trainer that arrived on time." Professor Oak remarked. Ash decided to stay quiet, instead lifting the last one. Maybe not his first nor second choice, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get a pokémon! And Bulbosaur wasn't a bad pick either. It was renowned for being the strongest pokémon of it's type after all!

He halted for a second, contemplating the Pokéball. Deciding that it was useless to wait around any longer, he opened it, his expression remaining neutral as he saw it's empty insides. He was past the point of feeling surprised, the emotion replaced by crushing disappointment instead. "Again, given to a trainer that had arrived on time." Oak's voice cut through the tensed silence. Ash swallowed his anger at the professor's words. Yes, he had been late but he couldn't sleep! And it was hardly his fault that he slept through his alarm! Okay, maybe it was kinda his fault, but still, what should he have done? He had gotten here as fast as he could! Instead he looked at Oak pleadingly. "What am I supposed to do without a pokémon? I can't be a trainer without one!" The older man scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose I do have one left that I can give to you. But!" He crossed his arms, looking at the boy sternly when he noticed a wide grin breaking out on Ash's face. "It is rather shy and not used to humans. You will encounter difficulties when handling it, and it won't be easy. Are you sure you are fine with that?"

"Yes! I will be fine!" Ash said enthusiastically. The professor pressed another button, revealing a fourth Pokéball that was raised from within the machine. "I suppose you might be able to handle it with your abilities." It was said quietly, barely loud enough for Ash to hear. He suspected that he wasn't supposed to. Deciding to ignore the remark, he took the last Pokéball from it's platform instead, and opened it. A bright yellow flash appeared, blinding the boy for a second. When the light receded, an adorable little yellow pokémon was standing on the machine. It blinked a few times, seemingly getting used to its surroundings. "Pikachu?"

Ash couldn't stop staring at the cute little pokémon in front of him. It was just so… adorable! He inched closer to the pokémon, itching to hug it. Just as he was about to touch it, he recoiled, his gaze alternating between the pikachu and his hand. He took a step back, giving the pokémon some space. The professor surveyed this exchange with surprise. "Pikachu is an electric mouse. It releases electrical charges when touched. I suspect it does this due to fear and discomfort. Like I said, it isn't used to humans." Ash nodded but he didn't look away from his new pokémon.

"It's scared," he said quietly. He looked up when Oak dropped one hand on his shoulder. "Pikachu is your pokémon now. Take good care of it." Ash smiled, holding out one hand towards the yellow mouse. "Let's be friends, Pikachu." He smiled encouragingly. The pokémon tilted its head, shiny black eyes focused on the hand in front of it. One yellow paw cautiously touched the boy's hand. "Alright!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. Suddenly small yellow lightning danced around Pikachu's red cheek marks, growing bigger by the second. "Watch ou-" Oak removed his hand from the boy's shoulder just in time, as the next second the boy was hit by electrical shocks. He staggered back, his black hair standing up in spikes. "Don't worry about it. I think it has taken a liking to you already." The professor laughed. Ash looked at him deadpan. "If that's how it shows his affection, then I don't wanna be on its bad side."

"Don't worry, I'm positive you will handle this just fine," Oak reassured the young boy, patting his back for good measure. "Ash, before you go on your journey, I must ask you if you are really ready for this." The boy tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean? I have a cool pokémon now, and I've been wanting to become a trainer since forever!" The professor sighed, pinching his nose. "Ash, you don't have to leave Pallet Town. There are a lot of professions you can take up instead of pokémon trainer. And I can promise you, you will have just as much contact with pokémon. You don't have to go on this journey." Ash looked away, one hand smoothing down his hair. "I want to do this. I want to become a pokémon trainer. I don't care if it's dangerous, or… about what happened. I won't let the past ruin my dream." The professor recoiled in astonishment as he noticed the determined sheen in the boy's eyes. "Alright. But contact your mother or me if anything ever happens. And remember, if you need help, I will be there."

Ash nodded. "Well, I'm gonna go now. I gotta change my clothes before taking on my journey!" He carefully put his hands around the Pikachu, lifting the hissing pokémon into the air. "Come on, you gotta cooperate with me there." He put it on his shoulder, making sure that it stayed up there. "There, not so bad right?" He released a tensed breath. Looks like he was getting the hang of this! Even the professor seemed impressed. "Pika!" A familiar yellow lightning appeared on the pokémon's cheek. "W-wait! Calm down Pikachu! Don't!" He yelled out, frantically trying to stop the angry pokémon from attacking. "Pika, pii!" Multiple series of yellow lightning lit up the room, visible even for passerby's on the outside. "Gaaah!"

When Ash stumbled outside, his pajama had a charred appearance and his hair was even messier than usual, sticking away in the strangest angles, some of the tips burnt. The pikachu had seemingly calmed down as it was now resting on his shoulder, for once not protesting at the close contact to a human. Ash suspected it had released it's pent up energy on him earlier and was now resting. For once a smug expression was replacing it's usual scorn. He looked up at the sound of people cheering, astonished at the crowd of townsfolk that had gathered in front of the building. His mother led them, standing in the first row. Upon seeing him, she ran towards him, pulling him into a tight hug, much to the disdain of his new pokémon. She took one step back, rubbing her watery eyes. "Geez, you made me worry on your first day already." Ash blushed, looking down awkwardly.

"I'm sorry mom."

"I can't believe that you have grown so much." She smiled gently. "I brought you some things that you will need on your adventure." She followed this up by pressing a green backpack into his hands, filled with his clothes, a map and some instant meals. She eyed the Pikachu curiously. "Aren't pokémon supposed to go into monster balls?" Some people behind her mumbled their agreement at this. "Uh, yeah I guess so," Ash retorted, pulling out an empty ball. He glanced at the Pikachu, the pokémon back to it's usual aggressive stance as it jumped from his shoulder. He paused for a few seconds, before storing the ball into the backpack. "Pikachu really doesn't like being in those." He offered a curt explanation to his mother. She nodded, putting one hand on his shoulder. "Ash… just please be careful out there." She hugged him again, a few tears slipping from her eyes. "I will always be there for you, don't forget that."

"I will be fine mom."

"Visit me sometimes, okay? The house will be empty without you," she smiled, wiping away the tears.

"I will. Don't worry about me." She stepped back, smiling softly.

"You are going to be a great pokémon trainer Ash. I just know it. Now go, before I change my mind about sending my son out to some crazy journey!"

"Mom, it's not crazy! It's my journey to becoming the greatest pokémon master!" Ash protested, sulking as his mother laughed heartily.

"I know sweetie. Go and have the best adventure you could wish for!"

He parted with her, laughing with childish joy as everyone bid him goodbye enthusiastically. He looked down at his pikachu, eyes shining. "Let's go, Pikachu!"

He had taken a couple steps when his hurting feet reminded him of something. "Wait, I gotta get changed before!"


	2. Revelations and Bonding

The sun stood high on the clear blue sky, warm rays burning down onto the backs of an unusual pair of travelers. A gust of wind rippled through the fields of grass that surrounded the beaten down path.

At first glance, one would not see anything unusual. In a world that sent young children out on adventures, meeting the occasional kid traveling did not strike anybody as strange. If anything it brought joy into the hearts of the people, knowing that the streets were safe enough for their children to be exploring them by their lonesome. Others began remembering their own adventures, causing smiles to appear even on those that didn't have a reason to smile in a long time.

The only thing that might appear as odd to some, would be fact that the pikachu trotting alongside its trainer was not confined to the insides of one of the pokéballs hanging off the trainers belt. But even this wasn't completely unusual, as some trainers preferred to have their companions walking alongside them. But, if one were to take a closer look at the two travelers, the angry scowl on the otherwise cutesy pokémons face might be noticed, or the fact that it refused to acknowledge any attempts at communication from its trainer.

"Look, I know you kinda-" he stopped when the pokémon growled at him, restarting his sentence. "I know you __really __dislike me. And I can't blame you. I mean, I wouldn't like it if some random guy that I had never met before tried to drag me with him on some journey that I'm not even interested in. I don't want to force you into this when you clearly don't want it." He stopped walking, waiting for the pikachu to turn around. Reluctantly it did exactly this, sending waves of anger his way. It stubbornly refused his attempts on making eye contact, even when the boy crouched down right in front of it. Realizing it was wasted effort, Ash stood back up.

"I'm only going to ask one thing from you, if that's alright." One of its long ears twitched, but otherwise it gave no indication of even listening to him. "I would like to catch one pokémon as my starter, and after that you are free to go wherever you would like. Is that okay with you?" The tiny pokémon huffed, crossing its small paws. Ash sighed. "How about we take a break at the big tree over there, and you think about my offer? If you don't like helping me, then I wont hold you back. You are free to go on your own terms." It seemed like Pikachu was fine with this, as it ran on ahead towards the tree, climbing its thick branches in a matter of seconds. Ash decided to follow the pokémon, but he settled down underneath the trees shadow rather than climbing it the way his pokémon had done.

By the time he sat down, Pikachu had already found a comfortable spot on the tree on which it surveyed the area surrounding it. He smiled when he noticed just how happy the pokémon felt right now. He leaned against the tree, the rough bark scraping across his shirt, but he didn't mind. Ash took off his cap, rubbing away the beads of sweat that had gathered around his forehead and temples. A soft breeze took up, ruffling through his hair and cooling him down considerably. His left hand ran through the blades of grass, relishing in the ticklish feeling on his fingertips.

He took a deep breath, and laughed, joy and excitement radiating through his brown eyes. The grass was of a healthy green hue, speckled with colorful wildflowers inbetween different shades of green. Sometimes, certain areas in the grass would rustle or move, indicating the presence of a wild pokémon. But Ash felt safe in his current spot, knowing that he was too far away from the high grass to be in any danger and shielded from the presence of the pokémon. The tree cast dark shadows, protecting the young boys skin from the bright sunlight. The landscape was simply beautiful. And to think that this place wasn't even far away from his hometown!

"You know, I really love the countryside," Ash said to no one in particular. Here and there the calls of various pokémon disturbed the peaceful silence, but it only added to this place's magic. "I missed it." He chuckled quietly. "I know this sounds weird coming from somebody who grew up in a village on the countryside." He looked up at the pikachu, feeling amused when he noticed the pokémon's stare on him. "You probably think that I'm weird, getting all nostalgic about something so normal." He turned his head, staring off into the distance.

"Truth is, I wasn't able to enjoy this kind of stuff for some time. And when I should have been able to enjoy it again I didn't because I avoided going outside. This is pretty much the farthest that I have gotten in years." He drew his legs in towards his chest, hugging himself tightly. Pikachu frowned as it noticed the darker atmosphere. Concern for this strange boy rose in the small pokémon.

"I still have dreams about that place. I forgot most about it, but I remember just how cold it was. And how dark." He shivered. "I was lonely. And I missed my mom, and my town. I even missed simple things like grass and flowers. And the sun. That place… it only had bad things. Bad and evil and painful things…" He trailed off, the nails of his fingers digging into the skin of his arms. They left deep, crescent shaped imprints, but the boy barely noticed. It was an almost unconscious action.

Pikachu tilted its head, worry evident in its shiny black eyes. "I-" One hand left its former position to hastily rub across his eyes. "I dunno why I suddenly thought about that. T-this is supposed to be my big journey." He shook his head as if trying to shake away the darkness. One tear fell past his half-lidded eyes, leaving a wet trail behind in its wake. When it fell, it reflected the light of the sun, resembling a beautiful gem. "Pii?" The pikachu had jumped down a few branches, slowly inching closer to the trainer.

"It's okay, I just remembered some bad things, but I'm fine now!" He lifted his head, forcing a smile on his face. It came out as a grimace, shaky and unstable. More tears dropped down his face, and suddenly his small frame was wrecked by sobs. "I- I just want to have a normal life, and now its my chance to become a pokémon trainer but instead I'm thinking about unimportant stuff from the past… and… and I don't even know why I thought of it, it just popped into my head and I couldn't stop and- … and-" he stopped talking, his breathing becoming shallow and heavy. He allowed his head to fall back on his knee, rocking back and forth slowly, finding comfort in the monotonous motion. He tried to continue speaking but found himself unable to. His arm was wet from wiping away the tears.

Pikachu watched the display with ever growing unease, before it decided to intervene. Unbeknown to the trainer, his pokémon was now crouching next to him, sitting up on its hind paws as it examined the boy worriedly. He was too consumed in his own darkness and grief to notice the approaching companion. "Pika?" Something tapped his leg insistently. He didn't react. "Pika!" Tiny claws dug into his leg, and then vanished. Only when the pokémon jumped on his head, did he feel the emotions radiating off it and noticed its presence. He lifted his head, baffled when the pokémon jumped on his legs and stared at him. "Pikachu!" It chirped, one paw extended towards the trainer. It touched his cheek, letting a tiny current of electricity flow through him. Strangely it did not hurt the way it had in the past. Instead, it was almost tickling. A miniscule smile appeared on his face- barely there but still enough for the pokémon to detect. Its warmth had finally reached him.

He forced himself to relax, allowing the yellow pokémon to jump into his lap where it immediately snuggled close to him. "Is that a peace offering?" He joked, gingerly touching the pokémons head. A tiny 'pika' followed his question, which Ash took as a yes. "I'm sorry you had to see that. It didn't happen for a while, so I thought I would be fi-" He yelped when a tiny spark of electricity hit him. Pikachu sat upright, its gaze resting on him. "I guess you are curious what this was about." He exhaled slowly, eyes flickering to the side. "I promise, I'm gonna tell you one day." His body tensed. "Can you just pretend that… nothing happened for now?" He laughed when the pikachu stemmed its tiny paws into its hips, glowering at him. "I know, I know, it's not a good way to deal with problems." He plucked one blade of grass from the ground, twirling it around his fingertips. "If it's fine with you, would you help me catch a pokémon? I just want to enjoy my first day as a trainer. I wont run from my problems forever, but let me have this one day." Pikachu frowned, but it gave an affirmative nod to show its approval.

They walked into the high grass together, Ash's eyes darting left and right to check his surroundings for any sight of a wild pokémon, while his pikachu took it more easy. It probably looked forward to the prospect of having a battle with another pokémon. The sound of grass rustling caught both their attention. "Pikachu, go!" He yelled when a Rattata jumped out. His pikachu immediately assumed an attack stance, hissing at the wild pokémon that bared its teeth. "Pikachu use-" He took a quick look at his pokédex which displayed the attacks that his poémon currently possessed. He had the choice between Tackle and Thundershock. "Use Tackle!"

The pokémon took off, flying through the air like an arrow and slammed into its enemy hard. The Rattata was thrown backwards, skidding across the ground before it came to a slow stop. It straightened itself up, an angry scowl evident on its face. It set off- fast. "Pikachu dodge!" His pokémon threw itself to the side, barely in time. The sharp claws missed its target by mere inches, irritating the wild pokémon further. "Pikachu, Thundershock! Now!" It complied, building up energy with its small body and releasing it with a loud cry. The Rattata had no time to escape and got hit by the strong current head-on. It tried to counterattack Pikachu, but was rendered immobile by the paralyzing side effect of the electric surge. "Pikachu, use Tackle again!" Ash cried out, wanting to finish the fight. The yellow mouse rammed into the other pokémon once more, leaving it exhausted and unable to continue.

Ash pulled out one of the pokéballs that Professor Oak had given him and threw it at the Rattata. Bright yellow-white light engulfed the pokémon, sending it into the ball. Both him and Pikachu watched the display with baited breath, eying the wobbling ball nervously. Then, it stopped. "Yes! Great job, Pikachu!" He jumped up, pumping his fist into the air. "Pikaa!" Pikachu followed up, cheering just as much as its trainer did.

"You can go now, if you want to. Uh, not that I want you to go, but it's fine! Thank you for helping me!" He forced a smile, but it came out wavering. The Pikachu sighed, refusing to budge from its position next to its trainer. "You want to stay?" "Pikachu!" He engulfed the pokémon into a tight hug, only letting go of it when it started to release small electric charges at the rough treatment. "Sorry, sorry!" He squawked, setting the pokémon back down. "I'm just happy that you want to stay with me." He scratched his head awkwardly. "Though I guess I did go a bit overboard with the hugging." Pikachu nodded in exasperation, but it didn't seem to mind it terribly much. Sparkling brown eyes met shiny black, a large grin adorning the boy's face. "Let's go and battle some more!"

Ash grinned when he told Pikachu its next move. He figured out pretty quickly that his pokémon was quite strong which made it easy to beat the weaker pokémon lingering in the grass. He hadn't caught another one yet though, because he wanted to focus on strengthening the bond between him and his pikachu. Plus, they both had to get used to fighting, because right now they were still amateurs despite Pikachu's apparent strength. But they were getting better already! He could tell that Pikachu was enjoying this too, judging from how euphoric it felt. The battles provided an adrenaline high for both of them, causing them to be loaded with energy during the duration of the fight. They finished the battle with Pikachu's thundershock, the Spearow letting out a loud shriek when the electricity hit. Ash winced a little at the display, inwardly worried about the wild pokémon. He knew just how painful Pikachu's electricity was, so he felt pretty bad for the poor creature that got a full load of shocks. It gave out one more screech, and then flew away, its feathers slightly burnt.

"Nice Pikachu! Let's get some rest now." The moment they stopped engaging into fights, it was obvious just how exhausted the pokémon really felt. Ash cursed himself for not having noticed earlier, but he had been too distracted by everything that had happened. He felt slightly dizzy himself, partly from getting so into it, and partly due to feeling his pokémons tiredness. He really shouldn't have pushed it so far.

They went back to the large tree, Pikachu settling down in his lap that time, yawning a couple times. Warm bliss flooded through the boy's veins at the sight of his adorable new companion. He would have let his new Rattata out too, but it was still injured from the fight and Ash didn't want it to hurt itself on accident. Instead he cautiously rested one hand on the yellow pokémons back, patting the soft fur.

"You did great. I'm sorry I pushed you so much on our first day. You should get some sleep." He leaned against the tree too, yawning loudly. Initially his plan involved to move towards Viridian City after they were done fighting, but he had underestimated just how much the battles took out of both of them. __A tiny break can't hurt, right?__ He yawned again, his eyes falling shut. It didn't take long for the pair to fall asleep, the silence only interrupted by the far away cry of a lone Spearow. Unbeknown by them, other Spearow soon joined it in its cries, feathers rustling as they set off towards the unsuspecting travelers with glinting eyes.


	3. Arrival at Viridian City

_AN: Thanks for reading! The next chapter is alread done, just needs some polishing before I upload it._

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Ash awoke to the rather loud and unpleasant cries emitting from a flock of Spearow. He lazily blinked his eyes open, groaning quietly. The noise was really persistent… he yawned and started stretching, then rubbed his neck. It was a bit tensed up due to his bad sleeping position. Judging from the stand of the sun, couldn't have slept for any longer than a couple minutes. He was about to fall back into the grass to continue his dream about defeating the pokémon league, when a dark cloud on the horizon caught his attention. He gently put the pikachu off his lap where it had snuggled close to him and shielded his eyes against the invasive rays of the sun. The cries had gotten much louder. It was as if they- his eyes widened in shock. A horde of angry Spearow were flying straight towards them! He grabbed the sleepy pokémon, ignoring the growls it let out due to being so rudely and abruptly awakened and dove into the high grass.

"There is a huge flock of angry Spearow behind us," he whispered and gestured to the dark cloud. Pikachu finally blinked his little black eyes open and cocked its head. "I'm not sure if they are after us, but it's not safe to stay out in the open!" He sighed when his pikachu simply yawned again and then snuggled tighter into his arms. At any given time this would have been the most adorable thing in the entire universe, and he would have probably melted into a puddle from all that cuteness, but right now he really could not appreciate his pokémon finally trusting him.

He laid down flat on his stomach between the rows of grass just as they arrived. He held his breath, turning his head around to try and catch a peek of the pokémon's position. The first couple flew over them, not noticing the boy hiding in the grass. Everything pointed towards them making it out of there unscathed. What Ash hadn't noticed, was the fact that right now he had his poor Pikachu pressed tightly to the ground, the little yellow mouse having barely any room to breathe while it was being sandwiched between its trainer and the earthy ground.

Anger and fear overtook the pokémon due to this unfavorable position. Ash realized too late just what error he had made. "Pika, pikaaa, piiiii!" The high-pitched yells alone were loud enough to alert a couple of Spearow, but to make matters worse, it also decided to electrocute its trainer with a flash of yellow lightning and screams. A baffled and slightly scorched Ash blinked a couple times. Then, the first Spearow dove in for the hit. "Pii..." "No time to feel guilty now!" He picked up the remorseful pokémon and dashed through the field. This had caught the attention of the rest of the crowd, as now more and more cries could be heard from behind them.

The grass hit his face and exposed arms. His vision was limited to a blurry green, surrounding him on all sides. Despite this, he did not falter, and even fastened his pace. One of the Spearow tried attacking him but he managed to avoid its attack in the last second. Finally the grass parted in front of him, revealing a glimpse of light. He kept on running, not realizing that he was in fact not back at the proper path.

It all happened too fast. His foot got caught in a protruding root, causing him to lose balance. He yelled when he fell forward, him and Pikachu tumbling down a slope together. To their shared horror, it ended in an unruly river. He had just about enough time to take one last deep breath of air, before they were submerged into the ice cold water.

The tides took hold of the pair and dragged them with it, into a direction unknown. He fought hard to reach the surface, but the water kept dragging him down. He gasped, bubbles of air escaping him and floating to the surface. Black spots started to cloud his vision, his need for air becoming stronger and stronger. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his shirt. Something drug him and Pikachu through the water. Barely a second later, they were forcefully lifted and thrown out of the river. The air got knocked out of him when he fell on a hard stone, but he didn't care. He inhaled fresh air greedily, one trembling hand still locked around Pikachu. This certainly wasn't how he had enveloped his first journey going…

"What in… who are you?" A girl suddenly stood in front of him and scrutinized the strange pair in front of her. "What were you doing with my fishing rod? Look, the hook is all deformed now because some idiot decided that it would be fun to play fish!" He stared at the brash young girl in front of him dumbfounded. "Are you mute?" She tapped her feet impatiently. "I wasn't playing, I was drowning! And it was your hook that got caught my shirt, I didn't hang on to it on purpose!" To emphasize his words he gestured towards the tear on his favorite shirt. The girl lifted an eyebrow. Then her expression morphed into one of genuine shock. "What did you do with that pokémon? It looks terrible!" Pikachu hissed and Ash rolled his eyes. "I-" He was interrupted before he could defend himself, and explain the situation to the weird girl. A dark cloud had appeared on the horizon. A very familiar dark cloud.

He jumped up and snatched his pikachu. His eyes fell on a bike that was parked on the side of the road. He jumped on it before giving himself time to reconsider his decision. "I'm gonna borrow this! I promise I will give it back to you later!" "Wait, you can't just take my bi-" "Sorry!" He yelled back. "Oh, and uh- you should probably take cover! Those Spearow are pretty nasty and angry!" "What?!" He cycled away before the girl could give him another earful. He hoped she would be alright though. One look behind him confirmed his suspicions that the Spearow were focused solely on him. The road was littered with rocks of various sizes, causing his bike to sway from side to side wildly. He grit his teeth, forcing himself to keep going.

A drop of rain hit his cheek. Then another. In a matter of seconds, heaven's gates were fully unleashed, soaking through his clothing and turning the road muddy. One particularly large bump led to his bike crashing to the ground. Pikachu fell out of his arms and the Spearow wasted no time in attacking the poor pokémon. "Get away from him!" He yelled and dove past the angry crowd. The agitated birds switched their target, picking at Ash's exposed skin with their sharp beaks. He whimpered in pain, but it didn't stop him from protecting his pokémon. He was about to pick Pikachu up to shield him from any further harm, when the pokémon jumped on his arm.

It happened so fast, Ash saw nothing more but a yellow flash. With a loud squeal, it jumped off his arm towards the horde of pokémon. A scream left Ash's lips while his eyes widened. He fell back when electricity formed around his pokémon, building up to a high tension. Some of the Spearow stopped their course and attempted to fly away, but it was too late. With a high-pitched yell, the electricity was released into the air, shocking all Spearow that had dared to venture too close. With cries of pain and anger, the Spearow were forced to retreat. Ash stared at his pokémon in shock, which smiled at him happily. Then, it started staggering, the smile slipping off its face. He stretched his hands out, catching the exhausted pokémon when it lost consciousness and toppled over. "Pikachu…" He hugged the pokémon tightly. "Thank you."

Sometime during his walk to Viridian city, the rain had stopped. For some reason, he felt the strange need to look up at the sky. Deciding to follow the feeling, he laid his head back, gazing at the darkening horizon. He gasped upon seeing a beautiful rainbow stretching across the sky. Something glittering caught his attention. There… he squinted his eyes. He thought he saw something shiny fly towards the rainbow. He rubbed his eyes, then checked again, but was only able to watch the rainbow slowly fade away.

* * *

Dawn broke in when Ash finally arrived at Viridian city. He was thankful that Pikachu had risked his own safety to protect him, but it didn't alleviate the guilt nagging at him. If he had used his powers, they might have gotten out of this ordeal unharmed, and Pikachu wouldn't have been in danger. But he was too afraid to use them. Not even a dire situation like earlier had been enough to bring forth his hidden ability. And being able to feel how angry and upset the pokémon were, didn't exactly help when they wanted to tear him and Pikachu from limb to limb. It only made matters worse, because the onslaught of heavy emotions had left him with a strong headache.

A police station was located on the outskirts of the small city. He didn't pay much attention to it when walking past the building, due to searching the area for a pokécenter. Ash just managed a couple steps into the city, when someone stopped him from advancing any further. A young police lady blocked his way, eying the beaten up boy suspiciously. "You look very… shady there, young boy. What is your business in this city?" she said, pushing her sunglasses up with her thumb. He balled his hands. "Please, I don't have time for this! I really have to get to a pokémon center quickly," Ash retorted exasperatedly. He lifted the jacket he had wrapped the tired pokémon in, but it barely reacted.

The woman's eyes went wide upon seeing the battered pokémon. "Oh, what a poor fella! I'm sorry for doubting you, but we have got a big problem with pokémon thieves lately, and you arriving here all battered and bruised raised some alarm bells, you know?" Ash decided not to question how him being injured made him a suspect. "I'm Jenny by the way," she said, while she reached into her pockets and flipped a switch on some form of remote control. "Uh, Ash." To his surprise, the garage next to the police station began opening up, revealing a motorcycle. She climbed on the bike and raised one eyebrow. "What are you waiting around for? Hop in, kid!" He nodded and climbed into the small container attached to it. "I wont ask how this pokémon got into this state, because we need to get it to a pokécenter fast. But the lady running it will have some words of choice with you about this."

"I'm sorry." His voice was quiet.

She started the engine and off they went. Her driving was much faster than Ash would have expected from a police officer. He was pretty sure that she was breaking every single speed limit in this city. He held on the container tight, swallowing heavily. A red building appeared in the distance. They were still going pretty fast. "Uh, maybe you should slow down a bit?" The woman apparently didn't hear him, as she continued driving towards the center with the same speed. "Could you slow down?" He said a little louder, but no reaction. The building was definitely much close than before. "Uh… Jenny?" Nothing. He screamed when they drove right towards the glass entrance of the building and closed his eyes tightly. The vehicle slowly skidded towards a stop in the entrance of the building. Gingerly he peeked out behind his fingers, then let his hands fall down completely. He appeared to be uninjured… and the building wasn't trashed either. "There we are! Viridian's renowned pokémon center!" The woman loudly exclaimed, a bright smile on her face. Ash climbed out of the vehicle with wobbly legs, swaying back and forth from the rough drive. "Joy? We got an emergency here!"

"Coming!" A light voice responded. Ash tightened his hold around Pikachu a little, nervously awaiting the arrival of the nurse. He hadn't forgotten the police lady's words earlier.

A young woman with light pink hair wearing a white nurse's uniform entered the foyer. Her eyes widened and one hand covered her mouth in shock when she saw Pikachu's state. "Oh dear…" She hurried over to the pokémon, gently taking it out of Ash's shaking hands.

Two Chansey's walked into the room, carrying a stretcher with wheels attached on it. She wasted no time in putting Pikachu on it. Then she turned around towards Ash, blue eyes glinting angrily. The boy shrank underneath her reproachful glare. "How could you let your pokémon reach this state? This is completely unacceptable for a trainer!" Ash avoided her glare, watching the white tiles on the ground instead. "I'm sorry." He looked up again, eyes pleading. "Please make sure that he will be alright." The nurse nodded, carrying the injured pokémon into the operation room. Ash flinched when a strong hand clasped around his shoulder. Jenny nodded encouragingly at him, a small smile playing around her lips. "Your pokémon will be fine. Joy has treated every pokémon that was brought here with success so far." Ash nodded, but it didn't stop him from feeling worried about Pikachu. "Well, I have to get back to my station. There isn't anyone on duty except me, so I need to be there, in case any bad guys show up."

"Thank you for helping us."

"It's alright. Just be careful in the future and make sure not to get him hurt like that again, alright?"

He felt a little better at her warm words. "Promise." The corners of his mouth even tugged upwards.

"Good! Joy is going to take care of everything, so if you have any questions just ask her!" With that she jumped on her bike, and was gone in the blink of an eye. Ash shook his head at Jenny's bouncy energy, but a full smile has made its way on his face. For the first time in hours he felt just a little better.


End file.
